Ideas for Making the Holiday Season a Time of Joy and Peace

Halloween has come and gone. Man the stations, the holiday season is upon us!

For many, the holidays are a time of stress and dread. Families don’t always get along, and some people have no families. There’s lots of pressure no matter your situation.

Inflation is also a serious factor this year.

Turkey prices will be obscene due to avian flu. Butter prices have soared and there’s a shortage too. Prices for a traditional Thanksgiving meal this year will skyrocket.

It’s time to rethink the situation.

I’m speaking from personal experience. I’ve revamped the holidays many times.

My family members all died during the holiday season. As each person died, the celebrations changed.

The most dramatic for me was my father’s sudden death right before Christmas. The circumstances were horrific. From that Christmas forward, my mother and I stopped celebrating.

I was living in an area where Christmas decorations came out before Halloween. The songs started shortly after. I got overwhelmed the closer Christmas came.

I made a choice to change how I looked at the situation. I worked through the holidays so someone else could be with their families. It made me feel better. It was then I realized why. I was giving charity from my heart by giving of myself. This was the real reason for the season!

Later, my mother would pass shortly after New Year. She was my last living relative. When Christmas came, I joined my church choir. My husband worked 3rd shift and wouldn’t be home, and I didn’t celebrate in a secular way, so why not? By making this choice, I found peace and joy. I stayed with the choir for 12 years.

Here Are Some Ideas

Changing things up may help.

I was always the hostess until about 20 years ago. It felt weird being the guest. The first time was when my Mom and I were moving. A friend insisted that we have Thanksgiving with them. It was a beautiful evening. Later, I realized that they were giving from their hearts. We couldn’t give back for this gracious meal. We were moving far away.